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Fawkes
"The Fawkes are the fierce sentinels of the elements. They are large, lithe and winged beings that trust few and make friends with fewer. They are built both for the hunt and for flight, with massive wings and sharp claws and teeth, and are the race that regards loyalty with the most severity. " ''-Page 28, 'Journals of a Nomad', 814 Blessed Fawkes are members of the race of winged canine-like peoples that originate from the region known as the Drelhi Wastes. The language of Fawkes is Felw'en, and all Fawkes born in their home regions will learn this before any other language. In Felw'en, the word 'Fawke' most accurately means 'Heir', but the translation of the word by Fawkes themselves is closer to 'Child of those who came before', referring to the civilization that existed in the Drelhi wastes before the volcanic and seismic activity that ravaged the area created the Lava Fields and Bottomless Chasm. Fawkes are commonly known for being one of the most reclusive peoples of Mythica, with most of their settlements being in almost uninhabitable areas and their people being generally distrustful of outsiders. However, in recent years Fawke leadership has shifted towards the younger of their race, and more clans have recently been willing to delegate and meet with the main Mythican governments. '''PHYSICAL' Anatomy Fawkes are giant, winged canines heavily resembling wolves with long slender limbs and opposable thumbs on their forelimbs. Their batlike wings are incredibly large and connect to their backs along their spine from the shoulders back to the tip of the tail. These wings are highly flexible and when not in use can be compact, and have some fur on them. Their wing membranes can withstand damage and act as shelter against storms. They tend to have thick fur of varying lengths with earth toned colors. Their eyes can be anywhere from dusky reds to subtle browns and yellows, to vibrant greens and icy blues. They are carnivorous, and have sharp teeth to this effect. They have very dextrous faces and are fully capable of speech, with an articulation range similar to Miarons. Fawkes are usually around five and a half feet tall at the shoulder, with variation depending on their genetics and physical fitness giving a half-foot of disparity either way. They easily tower over most other races. Ethnicity Southern Fawkes from the south tend to withstand the coldest winters, and so have the thickest coats, including some with lightly furred wing membranes, and are the stockiest. But their lands are also the most bountiful, meaning they tend to be the most physically strong. Their wings are box-shaped Central Fawkes from the central wastes are swift to outmaneuver large prey and storms, and have larger wings for sustained flight. Their wings are longer and more angular in proportion than other Fawkes. Northern Fawkes from the northern wastes have the shortest fur because of the heat from the volcanoes, and the toughest hides and skin to protect from corrosive ash and fire. They are the smallest, and tend to have the strongest lungs to compensate for their relentless home. Life Fawkes have the second-longest lifespans of any race in Mythica if they die of old age, elders usually passing at 160 years old. The puppies start out with 'blank' fur, IE fur devoid of most markings. It can be a variety of earth tone colors, occasionally black or white. Their fur is very fluffy and meant to insulate them against the cold nights of the wastes. As they age, their fur gradually changes. Stress and emotions heavily affect a Fawke's developing coat, and their markings will change or elaborate as they age into striped and knotted patterns because of chemicals released when they are under tension or enduring hardship. These changes will become more visible after they molt their summer and winter coats each year. Strengths/Weaknesses Fawkes are born to survive. They have excellent stamina, and can go days without eating because their bodies are incredibly efficient at processing and dispersing the nutrients from their food. They are agile and can strike quickly and accurately when needed with sharp teeth. They have excellent memories, and fantastic senses of smell and hearing. They learn quickly and retain information well. They are built to sustain impacts better than almost all other races. However, they do not have a great deal of strength in their frames, and cannot carry passengers in powered flight unless they are the largest and most imposing of their race - Alphas. They mostly see in shades of grey, with the color they see most strongly being that of their eyes. They cannot do magic, and can only achieve powered flight as adults. SOCIETAL Culture Families Fawke culture revolves around the family unit. This takes many forms. The smallest unit is that of the literal family - mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, so on and so forth. This then evolves to the tribe as a family, with alphas acting as leaders and guides, and after that the clan, with the Chieftans as leaders, and finally the Council, made up of all the Clans and Tribes which answers to the two strongest Alphas of their entire race. Fawkes are fiercely loyal in that same order; first to their family, second to their tribe, third to their clan and fourth to the Council. This unifies their people. Fawkes are incredibly loyal. They are raised with heavy emphasis on familial reverence - Fawke families are some of the most dedicated and close knit in all of Mythica, and families within tribes have their own close and positive dynamics with each other. Loss is felt heavily amongst the group; when one Fawke suffers, the tribe does, and overall a Fawke's natural tendency to form strong connections with their loved ones results in heavy attachment and the inability to easily cope with newcomers. Fawkes naturally distrust those that come from outside of their tribes, even to the point of wariness of Fawkes outside of their immediate clan. Tribes Their tribes meet as a clan every two months, and the four clans meet as a Council every time the seasons change. At these meetings, much planning is done and much territory established; the lands of the Fawkes are shared, and to keep every tribe sustained and alive, their territories to roam are re-divvied up each season in order to give each and every Fawke a fighting chance. Foreign policy is also handled at clan and council meetings. Legacy Fawkes also fiercely protect their history and legacy. They remain in the Wastes due to a sense of ancient duty to those who came before, and retell the stories of those who have passed dutifully and reverently. An insult to a family member and an insult to an ancestor or venerated figure are two sure fire ways to get a Fawke angry at you. Songs A notable and important passtime and part of Fawke culture is singing. Fawkes express themselves intensely through song, and a family, tribe or clan that can all sing in harmony is considered to be perfectly and ideally balanced. Their songs can be worded or wordless, and their voices can be heard in their most pure form when in song as the growl that usually permeates Fawke speech is minimized or lost. (Fawke voices usually growl as they are vocalizing much quieter than they can be for the sake of the people around them. On the flip side, their singing is loud.) All important Fawke ceremonies, such as funerals, solstices, birthdays, promotions, leadership changes, etc involve singing. History In an age near-forgotten, the Drelhi Wastes were actually a fertile river valley sitting between the Drelhi Mountains to the north and the River Swift to the south. In those days, the people known as the Falkiri, or Those who Came Before, lived and thrived. They were the ancestors of the Fawkes, and lived as peaceful nomads much like the Windrunners a few hundred miles south of them. Mount Flare's first eruption and the seismic activity that created the Bottomless Chasm were one in the same. The lands of the Falkiri were torn apart and blanketed in soot and fire. Everything they had was lost, except for their pride and determination. They kept claim to their home, and continued to exist there, taking on the name Fawke to honor what had been lost, and what it meant despite that loss. Since then, Fawkes have been highly organized and highly tenacious, living in what is easily the most dangerous part of Mythica and stubbornly living the way they always have. Constant but lessened lava flow from Mount Flare rendered a large chunk of their original homeland uninhabitable, but has spared much of the area north of the River Swift from the giant clouds of ash that the original larger eruptions contained. For the most part, the Fawkes have lived with few to no disputes among themselves, but find themselves at contest with roving Miarons often. During the Hundred Year's War, Aurich conquered one of the three tribes, Galefury, and used it to war against the other two, but eventually it was freed and life made an attempt to return to normal. Language The Fawkes speak Felw'en, the language they have inherited and are using from the Falkiri. Its sounds involve lots of growling or bark-short consonants and long songlike vowels. It is a language very much unique to the Fawkes. Fawke accents usually accentuate vowels and vowel sounds to make them longer and more robust sounding, and make consonant sounds either growling (rolling rs, ls, gs) or short. Religion ''' Fawkes, like other races in Mythica, revere the Muse, and her teachings are spoken in every tribe. One Fawke in every generation inherits the holy and magical charge of being their people's living Tome of Parable, and speak of the Tome until their dying day. The Tome of the Fakes is the Book of Fidelity, whose verses speak of the importance of family and steadfastness. Every Fawke has an opportunity to listen to the living Tome whenever the tribes meet for their seasonal council. Alongside the Muse, whom they pray to as Firae, She who Came First, they honor their ancestors regularly. Each family has at least one ancestor that they venerate and remember when they pray. Prayer usually occurs at the first light of dawn or the first thing the Fawke does in the morning, and at dusk or just before the Fawke goes to sleep. Prayer is private, though parents will guide their cubs through the process for the first years of their lives and teach their children of their lineage. '''Relations Fawkes keep to themselves, and it's incredibly hard for other races to meet the needs of a tribe and integrate. But once their trust is earned, they are steadfast and loyal. They are known around Mythica as being agressive and mildly xenophobic because of their distrust of outsiders. Universally Famous Figures Firae - She Who Came First, AKA the Muse, often depicted as a giant white Fawke with many wings and eyes that are the moons, with the sun on her brow as a crown. This depiction of the Muse is only common in Fawke territory. Thunderstrike - An ancient Fawke alpha who founded the Skybreach clan. Swiftwind - An ancient Fawke alpha who founded the Galefury clan. Earthrender - An ancient Fawke alpha who founded the Shatterplain clan. Ahnadi Matar Ezhnuo - A young Fawke who, during the hundred years war, spoke to and both defeated and defended thousands of Fawkes in his time and briefly became leader of the Galefury clan, leading his troops against Aurich. He is often misremembered and misrepresented outside of Fawke territory as a puppy - possibly because of how his adopted father remembered him and told stories about him - even though he was fully grown by the time this feat was achieved. Karito Ahigate - Ahnadi Ehzuno's successor; he led several tribes to form the Sunsteps clan, the only clan to leave the Wastes, in order to better forge diplomatic relations with other races. GEOGRAPHICAL Civilizations While the Fawkes have always honored the Falkiri, an ancient civilization of their ancestors, they have operated under their current system of government since before living memory. Clans/Tribes The Fawke population is split into four Clans, and each Clan is split into multiple Tribes. Skybreach Clan A clan whose territories include the base of the Drelhi mountains and the part of the wastes closest to Mount Flare. They are the the most rugged and fierce Tribes and produce the strongest Alphas. * TUWA MIA * OHKANYO * HAYNATAUE * AKEVETA * TALUTAN * ANGENEVI Galefury Clan A clan whose territories include the wastes directly east of the Bottomless Chasm's end. These fawkes are the most migratory, and tend to adapt better to various circumstance than the other two Clans. * EZHNUO - Smallest Tribe * APENIONE * MAGENA MAI * TAZULA * MIADOKA MEDA * AMILOTA * MADALAN * TAMA MAI Shatterplain Clan A clan whose territories include the southern part of the Drelhi wastes down to the River Swift. They tend to be the largest clans, and the most forthcoming with help for their brothers and sisters. * DEZBEAZA - Largest Tribe * ITUHCA * CAOTORI * SISKIVA * LIWANUAK * NAUZCHA * TAKIHINA * YAHTONA * PAVETAH Sunsteps Clan The only Clan to be made up of Tribes that no longer live in the Wastes. They tend to be the most detached from Fawke society, though they meet just as often as the other Clans. They have forsaken their homeland in the name of representing their people, ironically. They include the most open of all Fawke tribes. * AWENSASA - Tribe of the Great Plateau * SHIMA - Tribe of the Muse Meadows and the southern Endless Plains * AHIGATE - Tribe of the area west of the Dark Woods Race Lands Fawkes live primarily in the lands south of the Drelhi Mountains, north of the River Swift and east-southeast of the Bottomless Chasm. Occasionally, Fawke tribes in need will migrate to the space directly south of the Bottomless Chasm and the volcano, but only for such a time as their clan needs to recover from some event. While the game there is the most plentiful of all places above the River Swift, it is not considered true Fawke homeland and most tribes elect to return to other parts of the wastes after just a few seasons. Level of Advancement Fawkes live in the hardest-to-live place in all of Mythica besides the desert north of the mountain border of their home. They are painfully practical, and only craft and wear what they need - it should be noted that they do, in fact, craft. Fawke craft is incredibly detailed and careful, and it's incredibly rare and valuable, making it easy for Fawke tribes to do trading whenever they are in dire need of supplies. Fawkes are master leatherworkers. Their usual items are simple slings and packs that allow them to carry supplies, and occasionally blankets and capes to help protect their more vulnerable tribe members in winter. In times of war, they have been known to favor leather armor for its lightness and mobility, though it does not stand up against Miaron plate or chainmail. Fawkes only have one establishment, and that is the Peak. It is a small raised area of earth upon which a stepped pyramid is built. It was left over from the days of the Falkiri, and acts as the meeting place of the clan leaders and the platform from which they orate to their people. Non-Fawkes would only see the Peak if invited when the Tribes and Clans went for a seasonal meeting. Population Statistics The Fawkes are the second-least dense in the areas that they do populate, and the second-least populous race in the continent of Mythica. Very few of them can be found mingling with other races. Fawkes usually have single births, and sometimes the conditions in the Wastes take a turn for the worst at inopportune times, so losing children to the storms or wild animals of the area is not unheard of. Often the parents are left wrought with so much grief that it's a decade or two before they try to raise another child. PERSONAL Common Cultural Behaviors Fawkes are standoffish at best with people they don't know, aggressively defensive at worst. But around family, it's another story. They are affectionate, warm and doting to those within their family sphere, and always look out for each other. Feuds don't last long within Fawke families, and those that threaten a Fawke's loved one are dealt with swiftly and aggressively. A tribe-raised Fawke's attitude isn't affected by much more than family ties. Regular Dress The most Fawkes will wear is sparse leather armor when they expect to be fighting a dangerous foe; this is mostly common in Skybreach tribes, as the game there is tough and aggressive. Most commonly, Fawkes will wear simple leather slings that hook around their shoulders and cross over to the end of the wing membrane on the other side of their bodies. This will usually have a bag attached to it, allowing them to carry supplies. This is primarily how Fawkes keep water supplies with them, and how they carry the materials they need to create leather and medicine. When the weather is especially bad, leather shawls are not uncommon to protect them from the elements. Common First Names Most Fawke names are in Felw'en. Commonly, they are related to aspects of the environment, such as 'thunder' or 'gale', but family-related names are not unheard of; Fawkes named 'little sister' or 'proud brother' in Felw'en, for example. Until Felw'en is written, feel free to submit any names for a review of the 'feel' of Felw'en. Common Family Names Fawkes take the family name of their Tribe. For example, Coarvis Apenione is self explanatory. A tribeless Fawke might take the name of their parents, biological or adopted. Favored Occupations Fawkes apprentice to those their talents best help in the tribe before eventually striking out on their own to join another one. Occupations include but are not limited to: * Hunter: hunts for the tribe with a pack of other Hunters * Sentinel: Stays close to the clan and defends it from attack; also responsible for making sure the clan's few supplies and belongings travel with them safely. * Scout: Scopes out territory before the main body of the tribe moves there * Caretaker: Watches over the cubs of the tribe while their parents are roaming. * Craftsfawke: Takes the hides and bones of kills and renders them down into usable materials. * Watcher: Takes gathered materials and creates medicines to keep the tribe strong. * Songkeeper: Makes it their duty to learn all of the stories of the clan to pass them on to future generations. Songkeepers are also the Fawkes most likely to regularly use their written language. Adventures There are many rites of passage in Fawke culture, and they depend upon the Fawke's place in the Tribe. Some may range from a hunter's first kill to a watcher's first successful poultice or a songkeeper's first learned story, while others are more universal. A Fawke is encouraged to start a family, and if that involves joining a new Tribe they are celebrated for passing on their family's legacy elsewhere. The universal signal of a Fawke's maturity is their first powered flight. When a Fawke can fly, they are considered a full adult, and usually a celebration is held in their honor and they are introduced to the Alphas of their Clan and sometimes the leaders of the Council. For those Fawkes that cannot fly due to injury or disability, another milestone in their lives that signals adulthood is chosen. No Fawke is denied the honor of a big flashy ceremony or ostracized simply because of things they cannot control; in the end, the life of the Fawke is much, much more important than their physical ability. Leaving a tribe to be a lone Fawke, however, is not encouraged and is in fact frowned upon. Leaving territory without reason is also considered a taboo.